Sweet Enough
by Sophie1989
Summary: Filling in the gaps between the lovely scenes at the end of Season 10 Episode 4 of Spooks. ALL Dimitri/Erin : with a little bit of Rosie of course!
1. What about the man?

**Author note:**

Hi all, straight to the matter in hand: this is a Dimitri/Erin fic :)

**Let's face it, Harry and Ruth were THE couple in Spooks, but by the end of the final ever episode in this incredible series I just couldn't shrug the feeling that, had the writers been able to do an entire season instead of the mere six episodes, they would have developed Dimitri & Erin into a plausible couple too.**

**But for those of us who stepped onto the Dimitri/Erin ship over the past few weeks, all we had was a handful of scenes that gave us the impression there could've been so much more. One episode in particular being the fourth episode of the tenth and final season.  
>Which is where this fic leads from, filling in the blanks between scenes that happened towards the end of the fourth episode, culminating in a scene that would've been flaming wonderful had the writers addressed the sexual tension that they may or may not have been aware they'd written.<strong>

**Dimitri/Erin shippers, enjoy!**

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><p>Dimitri pulled up to the address he'd been given. He had to give it to Erin, she'd found herself a nice looking neighbourhood to live in. Not that she was there half as much as he knew she wished she was. He turned in his seat slightly as he turned off the ignition of his car and looked at the little girl who sat innocently in the back seat. She had no idea what sort of danger she'd been in, that the man who had picked her up from school hadn't actually been a friend of Mummy's but a terrorist. Even as Dimitri thought about it, he realised just how absurd it sounded. But she was safe now, he'd got there just in time, and he smiled at Rosie as the five year old swung her legs slightly on top of the booster seat which he always had in the boot of his car on the rare occasion his sister popped by with his little nephew.<p>

As Dimitri unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car he wondered what sort of state Erin was going to be in. He'd spoken to her on the phone while he and Rosie had sat in the living room of the terrorist's house, waiting for the police to quietly arrive and remove the dead body that was out in the hall. He didn't want to taint the little girl's innocence by exposing her to a dead body at such a young age, and he knew Erin wouldn't have wanted that for her daughter either. He remembered how frantic the woman had sounded on the phone:

_ERIN: Dimitri? Is she alright? Is Rosie alright?_

_Dimitri couldn't help a small smile as he looked over at the five year old who was currently sat staring in a trance at the TV while she held a pen precariously over a picture she'd been colouring in, in her favourite colour Pink, so she had told him animatedly._

_DIMITRI: Erin she's fine. Unharmed and currently transfixed on…Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse?_

_He said it in a questioning tone, not entirely sure that that was the correct title of the programme they were watching, but he could tell by the small breath of air that Erin had exhaled that he was probably right._

_ERIN: Yeah, it's her favourite. She's watched so many she can quote most of the episodes…_

_And true enough, Dimitri looked over at the little girl who spoke words every now and again at the same time as the TV. He couldn't help but smile at how well his colleague knew her own daughter._

_ERIN: I'm on my way home. When can you get here?_

_Dimitri hesitated. He'd been so intent on getting to Rosie before anything happened to her that he hadn't even considered he would have to take her home. He was just so relieved she was safe._

_DIMITRI: Oh…well, the police are just clearing the body and then we should be able to leave. I don't want her to see it you know…_

_ERIN: Yeah…thanks…okay well I'll send you my address and will be here ready and waiting._

Dimitri slammed the door of his car particularly hard, knowing full well Erin would be listening out for any sign that her daughter might be home. As he opened the passenger door, he watched protectively as the little girl held a hand out for him to help her slide out of the car. Her hand felt so tiny in his and as she landed beside him he shut the door behind her before placing a hand protectively on her shoulder. He'd almost got her home, but not quite yet. As they walked over to the pavement, Dimitri heard a front door opening and he looked up to see the familiar figure of his colleague running down the steps of her house towards her little girl who had held her arms out expectantly. His smile softened to one of sympathy as he watched Erin wrap her arms tightly around Rosie, the look on her face that of a woman who had thought she'd lost everything. For a fleeting moment Dimitri hesitated, feeling nervous that he was seeing this side to his senior colleague for the first time. Seeing a sense of venerability that Erin simply never showed. As her eyes glanced up towards him, she strengthened again, her emotions becoming boxed up as she scooped her daughter up and walked back into the house. She'd locked her emotions away again in a heartbeat. Dimitri followed, after all he was left holding Rosie's school bags and he presumed she would need them. He made to follow them into the house but hesitated at the front door, not entirely sure if Erin wanted him to come into the house. After all it was her place away from work. Her secret place. There had always been a reason why no one knew where she lived and that was because she'd never given out her address. He always supposed it was a way of her keeping her private life separate to her work. If she saw him in her house it would eradicate the boundaries. Her home would no longer feel like home, but more like work. So he stood and waited to find out if he was or wasn't invited in.

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><p>Erin brought her daughter into the living room, placing her on the sofa and feeling slightly empty as she watched the five year old wriggle out of her arms and run over to turn the TV on. She couldn't tear her eyes away from Rosie, worried that if she stopped watching her she might disappear again. Disappear. She rolled her eyes as she thought about the word, as though Rosie had ran away. <em>Kidnapped <em>was the word she should be using. She would be having a very serious discussion with the head teacher of her daughter's school about the method of picking up and dropping off children. There must be a more secure way. Erin's thoughts suddenly drifted to her mother, the woman who'd been given the responsibility to pick Rosie up. Why hadn't she heard from her yet? After all, if her mother had been at the school surely she would be inquiring as to the whereabouts of her Granddaughter? For a moment Erin's heart dropped, her mind wondering if the terrorists had captured her...or worse... She reached over to the coffee table as she watched Rosie dancing along to the TV, and quickly collected the house phone, clicking on a speed-dial number and calling it, her heart skipping a beat as she heard her mother speaking down the phone in a relaxed voice:

ERIN: Mum? It's me. Where are you?

She sat back on the sofa, pushing her long flowing dark brown hair back and letting out a sigh as her mother explained that she was out at the Bingo with friends after receiving her text about not needing to pick Rosie up from school:

ERIN: Oh, right. Well I'm home early so you don't need to worry about rushing back. I'll see you later Mum.

Erin shook her head as she placed the phone back down on the table. So the terrorist had somehow managed to send a message to her mother seemingly from her to tell her not to worry about picking Rosie up. So much for trying to keep her personal life separate from work, for attempting to keep her mother and daughter away from danger. What a mess.

ROSIE: Mummy…

Erin looked over at her daughter who looked back with a confused look on her face as Mickey Mouse pranced about on the TV behind her. She made a mental note to try and find a new programme for her daughter to become obsessed with.

ERIN: Yes sweetie?

ROSIE: What about the man?

Erin's heart sank. Dimitri had told her that Rosie hadn't seen the dead man in the house's corridor. So why was she asking about him? Erin began to panic. What could she possibly say? That he'd been sleeping? But she had no idea what state the terrorist had been in after Dimitri had shot him, there might have been blood everywhere..

ERIN: What man?

She watched, perplexed as her daughter turned her focus back on the TV, talking slowly as she paid no attention to what had just been said:

ROSIE: You know, _the man_…I cant remember his name…

ERIN: Well I don't know who you're talking about, so if you cant remember his name then I can't help… Do you want a juice?

Erin stood up to make her way to the back of the room where the open plan kitchen stood but she paused as she heard her daughter's words:

ROSIE: I _mean_, the man who brought me home!

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><p>Dimitri stood patiently on the step leading up to the front door of the house. From what he could see of the interior it looked very Erin. Plain, with the odd feminine touches here and there. He could hear the now familiar sound of Mickey Mouse coming from what he presumed was the TV indoors. He was surprised about how long he'd been standing there. Had Erin expected him to follow her indoors? To close the door behind him and to follow her and Rosie into the living room? Maybe she'd just wanted him to leave the bags in the hallway and leave the house, closing the door on his way out. Before thinking too much longer he watched as Erin rushed into the hallway, looking at him as though she was surprised followed by relieved to still see him there.<p>

Dimitri saw her take a deep breath before slowly walking towards him with an apologetic look on her face. In that moment he knew that she'd completely forgotten he was there, that she'd been so wrapped up in relief that her daughter was home and safe that it didn't matter about anyone else. And in that moment Dimitri suddenly felt sad. Not a normal emotion that overtook him, after all he was never really close enough to anyone to feel sad about anything. But over the months since Erin had joined MI:5 he'd felt an indescribable connection to her. Initially he'd been slightly overcome by her stunning features, sharp blue eyes, strong cheek bones, a short slender figure, with beautiful long flowing dark hair. His attraction to her had always clouded any dislike that other members of the team had first held for her competitive, often bossy and head strong approach to work. And it was possible this initial attraction had helped them form a strong working relationship. He was always quick to defend her and in time she'd become quick to defend him. Both were the first to tell the other if they were doing something wrong and in time Dimitri had become used to her appearance, to her workaholic nature, to her inability to reveal any feelings or emotion she might have, or her reluctance to reveal any of her past or personal life. He understood that things must have happened to her in the past to make her this way, it wasn't just the training given to trainee MI:5's, there was more to it than that. And for the first time in four months, as he stood on her doorstep, having just spent the afternoon rescuing her daughter from danger, he hoped with his whole heart that she might invite him in. Not only to her house, but also her heart. Even if it was just a little bit. It was the least she could do.

Dimitri shuffled his feet nervously as Erin reached out and took the school bags, a small grateful smile on her face. He forced a smile back as he watched her blue eyes stare into his, as though she were desperately attempting to read his mind. She cleared her throat and Dimitri prepared himself for a dismissal. But it never came and the words trickled out of her mouth with a hint of nervousness to them:

ERIN: Would you like a cup of tea?

Dimitri had the feeling she hadn't uttered those words to a man in a long time and he wondered if she'd even invited a man into the house before. Rosie was proof that there had been a man in her life once upon a time, but he wasn't sure what the chances were of him ever finding out about Rosie's Dad. With a sigh of relief he smiled as her smile grew:

DIMITRI: Definitely.

Erin heard the man behind her close the large front door, she passed the living room door, taking a glance inside just to check that Rosie was still there. True to form, the five year old was singing along to a song on the TV and Erin couldn't help the smile on her face. She loved her daughter so much. She was practically the only being on the planet that could bring a smile to her face, and that was one of the reasons why she loved her so. Erin continued through to the kitchen as she heard Dimitri shrug his coat off and hang it up on the coat stand. As she rounded the corner into the kitchen that opened up into the living room where Rosie sang, Erin reached out to the kettle and flicked it on, standing perfectly still while watching it begin to boil. She strained her ears for any sign of her colleague but she couldn't hear him. All of a sudden out of the corner of her eye, she saw him approach her, leaning against the work surface beside her, his finger accidentally resting against hers. Her immediate reaction was to pull her hand away, but she didn't. She wasn't sure why. If this had happened at work she would've walked away by now, but being in her own home calmed her. Relaxed her. Made her comfortable about being herself around a man, something she'd struggled to do for so many years. And this was Dimitri. A man who had noticed every flicker of emotion that she had ever accidentally revealed. He knew she was human, that she had feelings, that she had a past she desperately held onto as a secret. He knew all of these things without ever having to talk to her. And it was because of that that she felt closer to him than any other person she'd ever worked with. He just seemed to always understand.

Erin took a deep breath as the kettle almost boiled, and looked up into his soft brown eyes as he looked over at her. She could feel her heart begin to beat a little faster and, despite her brain telling her to look away, to not fall for the look he was giving her, she couldn't tear her eyes from his gaze. It were looks like that that always got her into trouble. As the kettle clicked, she felt a pat on her hip and almost jumped as a little voice piped up beside her:

ROSIE: Mummy, can I have a drink?

Erin quickly looked down at her daughter as she heard Dimitri walking to a different part of the kitchen. She shrugged off the slight feeling of disappointment that a 'moment' between them had been ruined and raised her eyebrows at the little girl who looked up at her expectantly:

ERIN: You can if you use the magic word…

She began to walk to the fridge as her daughter spoke in a long voice:

ROSIE: Pleeeeeeease?

Erin reached into the fridge, pulling out a fruit shoot that the five year old quickly raced over to collect. She tried her hardest not too look over at her colleague as Rosie handed her the lid to the bottle of juice, but her curiosity couldn't resist knowing what look he had on his face and she glanced over at him as he smiled mock-excitably at Rosie who had shown him the bottle of Fruit Shoot with glee before running back into the living room. Erin couldn't understand why she felt almost excited about how well he interacted with her daughter. It wasn't like Rosie was ever going to see him after today, especially as she wanted to keep work and anyone at work strictly away from her personal life. But…did she? Dimitri had already proved that he could look after Rosie, even if it had only been for about an hour and a half. And Rosie was renowned for being a quiet, shy little girl around new people, but for some reason she felt comfortable enough around Dimitri to be the happy, chatty little girl Erin knew and loved. Could he really have what it took to be a part of their lives, even if it was just as a friend?

DIMITRI: Penny for them…?

Erin jumped as she heard the words leave his lips and she quickly turned to a cupboard to pull out two mugs and two tea bags whilst clearing her throat nervously. Why was she nervous? She never got nervous. As she prepared the cups of tea she tried to think of something to say:

ERIN: Milk or sugar?

DIMITRI: Milk but no sugar-

ERIN/DIMITRI: -Sweet enough.

The two paused, laughing nervously at their similar attitude towards tea. Erin handed a mug of tea over to her colleague before taking her own and leaning against the work surface to face him. She watched, inspecting his lips as they blew the steam from his mug of tea. She was aware that she was staring, but she didn't care, she was too tired to care. It had been a long, stressful day. One which had a happy ending thanks to the man stood before her.

ERIN: So, do you have anyone to go home to? I mean, I have Rosie and usually my Mum…

She knew the question was a very personal one. One that, had the boot been on the other foot, she would've immediately closed up and dodged having to answer. She hesitated and the kitchen fell silent as Dimitri unintentionally burnt his tongue on the hot tea. But after letting out a little cough he smiled, and she relaxed once again, relieved that he wasn't going to run away:

DIMITRI: Nope, just me. And a fish.

Dimitri watched with a laugh as the woman across from him raised her eyebrows in intrigue and surprise. He loved the way she reacted to things, almost emotionlessly with the exception of her eyebrows.

DIMITRI: My sister insisted on getting me something to keep me company, but as I'm not home enough to look after a dog or a cat she was kind enough to get me a fish.

He watched as Erin shuffled her feet, clearly pleased to have been fed some pieces of information about his personal life. He had to admit it was weird to have spent almost everyday of the past four months with her, but barely knowing her at all. He'd only found out she was a mother the week before last, when one of their work colleagues, Callum, indiscreetly blurted it out whilst venting his frustration with her method of leadership.

ERIN: And what's your fish's name?

DIMITRI: James…

ERIN: As in..?

DIMITRI: James Bond. Yes.

His heart skipped a beat as he heard her let out a small giggle. A rare giggle. It was nice to see her looking so relaxed. She looked so beautiful when she was relaxed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rosie walk into the kitchen again with an unhappy look on her face:

ROSIE: Mummy, I'm hungry…

Dimitri watched as Erin looked up at the large clock above the kitchen door, the once relaxed look on the woman's face turning stressed again, and he desperately wanted to make it disappear.

ERIN: Gosh its way past dinner time!

Dimitri had to catch his breath for a moment as Erin paced up to him quickly, reaching past his right arm for something on the work surface beside him. He froze, unable to remember a time when she'd been this close to him, so close that the space they shared made everything seem intimate. The smell of her perfume, something that always made him feel so comfortable, wafted over him as he inhaled slightly. He felt her body grazing against his as she pulled away from the work surface and held out a takeaway menu. From the look on her face he could tell she hadn't really taken any notice of that moment. Whether it was because she couldn't regard him as anything more than a work colleague, or whether she'd noticed the tension but refused to act on it, or maybe because he was being a complete fool still overcome by her beauty from the first time he'd met her all those months ago he wasn't sure. He watched her pick up the house phone as Rosie followed her about the room excitably yelling 'Pizzaaaa!'

With a sigh, he placed his mug of tea down, not wanting to disturb their evening any more. He wasn't even sure why he was still there. Why had he agreed to tea? He was tired, usually he'd jump at the chance of going home early, of settling down in front of the TV with a couple of beers before going to bed. But instead he'd jumped at the chance of taking Rosie home, wanting to be the one to take her, not some police officer in the back of their car, wanting to be the one to return her to her mother, the possibility of Erin inviting him into her house being too good an opportunity to miss.

ERIN: Dee, do you like pineapple?

Dimitri spun out of his thoughts and looked over at the woman who had called over to him from the living room, the house phone held against her chest as she paused relaying her order to the delivery company while she waited for his response. He hesitated, sensing the confusion that had involuntarily wiped over his face, but she raised her eyebrows at him matter-of-factly:

ERIN: Don't you dare think about leaving here without letting me buy you dinner, it's the least I can do after all you've done today.

Dimitri couldn't help the smile that grew on his face as Erin unknowingly told him off, having realised that he'd been close to leaving. As if having dinner with Erin wasn't enough of an excuse to stay, Rosie had done her bit at persuading him to have dinner. The look of excitement on the little girl's face as she raced up to Dimitri and bounced enthusiastically in front of him was enough to make his heart melt:

ROSIE: Are you going to have Pizza with us too Dimitri?

DIMITRI: Yeah, looks like I am…

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><p><strong>Comments &amp; Reviews would be wonderful :)<br>I've already written the whole story so just proof-reading before I upload so expect the next chapter very very soon!  
>Aggghhh I love ErinDimitri!**


	2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Dimitri got to the top of the stairs and couldn't help but smile as he looked down at the little girl who laid asleep in his arms. Kids had never truly been his forte. He knew how to entertain his three year old nephew, but other than that he'd never been around any other kids. Work always took up so much of his time that when he finished work he loved nothing more than getting home, flicking on the TV and eating a ready meal or a takeaway with a few beers before falling asleep. The idea of getting home to a house full of children and an exhausted wife never appealed to him. The idea of having to waste time entertaining then putting the kids to bed before having to stay up and hold long conversations or arguments with his wife was a horrible idea. But as he thought back to the past couple of hours, and as he looked down at the little girl in his arms, he wondered if Rosie had perhaps changed his mind. She hadn't been a complete nightmare, and nor had Erin. Though he wondered if they'd been on their best behaviour because he was a guest. But Dimitri had to admit he'd enjoyed sharing dinner with them, this was especially down to the way Rosie had given him the role of 'dustbin' which he felt obliged to live up to:

_ROSIE: You know, Naomi…_

_Dimitri distracted his attention from the five year old for a fleeting moment to look questioningly at Erin who mouthed at him with a smile 'friend from school'._

_ROSIE: …she says her Daddy is the only boy in the house because her mum and sisters and cats are all girls. So because he's the boy he has to eat everything left on the plates when everyone's finished their food._

_Dimitri looked over at Erin again who still wore a smile as she raised her eyebrows at him. They both knew Rosie was about to insist he ate her final slice of pizza, and Dimitri was sure the little girl was using this story as an excuse so she didn't have to finish her dinner._

_DIMITRI: Riiiight…?_

_ROSIE: So as the Daddy of the house tonight you're the dustbin. You've got to finish what's left. Like this piece here…_

_Dimitri looked down at the crust of pizza she held out to him. He would've been a little more put off by being handed a piece of crust if he wasn't still hung up on the title she'd just given him. Did she really just call him the Daddy of the house? As he watched Erin tell Rosie in a low tone not to handle food that people might eat, he could tell his colleague was just as surprised at what her daughter had said. But he couldn't correct such an innocent little girl who didn't really know that what she was saying would possibly make someone uncomfortable, so instead he shrugged off the previous comment and smiled as he pulled her plate in front of him to begin tucking into the little girl's last slice of cold pizza. He looked from Rosie who looked up at him with glee, over to her mother, who looked at him with the same relaxed smile she'd been wearing on her face for over an hour now. And the thought that she felt comfortable around him made him feel very comfortable indeed._

Following dinner, Rosie was popped into her pyjamas, before the three of them settled down on the sofa, the little girl squeezing between the two adults while opening up her school book bag and pulling out her new reading book. Dimitri smiled as he thought back to how excited Rosie had been to show him how well she could read the book that her school had assigned her, even if she had struggled with the odd word here and there. Then it had been his turn to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one of Rosie's favourite's (apparently). A book that he'd not read since he was a little boy. An old time classic that he wasn't too surprised to see went down from generation to generation. So he read it in the best way he could, having never had a huge amount of confidence in his ability to read out loud, nor had he had any experience in reading a story to a child before, not even to his own nephew. Once he'd finished the book Rosie had handed it to her mother to read, and as Erin read the words to her daughter, Dimitri had become hypnotised by her voice. She read with such a softness to her voice that he suddenly understood how badly he'd read the book. It had been as though he'd been attacking every word. Trying to make his voice sound as exciting as possible. But in fact the way he should've read the book should've been the way Erin had read it, with a soothness to her voice that would encourage her daughter to calmly fall asleep. And fall asleep Rosie did.

Dimitri gently followed Erin along the landing and into a room that already had a lamp on expectantly. He tried to remain as calm as possible despite the shock he received as he entered the room and realised it wasn't Rosie's room at all, but Erin's. He presumed the little girl had her own room, but understood that perhaps just for tonight his colleague wanted to keep her daughter close to her, especially after today. He watched Erin as she sat on the edge of the double bed, plumped up a couple of pillows, then opened up the duvet on the other side of the bed for her daughter. He continued watching as the woman paused, before looking up at him with a tired smile. Dimitri took that as his cue to walk around the bed and gently place the little girl in the space her mother had provided for her, which he did so with such caution, not wanting to wake the child in any way. As he let her go and Erin wrapped the duvet around her daughter he suddenly felt slightly empty, the weight having left his arms, while his colleague tenderly tucked Rosie up.

Dimitri found his eyes wandering away from the mother and daughter before him and over to the fireplace beside him, one which boasted a large pile of books that he wasn't 100% sure that Erin had ever got around to reading. All of a sudden his eyes fell upon a framed photo. The image showed a younger Erin, looking fresh-faced and relaxed, stood cuddling up to a man who had his arm around her. He hadn't seen this man in any other photo that had been scattered about the house here and there, but from the look of Erin's body position Dimitri got the feeling he was Rosie's dad. They looked comfortable together and very happy.

Erin couldn't describe how she felt right now. The day had been a rollercoaster of emotions, from the beginning right to the very end. Now she was tired, and had run out of energy to keep her emotions in tact. She was so relieved that her daughter was safe, that she was in her bed right now, safe in her arms. She couldn't express how grateful she was to Dimitri for all that he'd done today. For all that he'd done this evening. He'd been just what Rosie had needed. Just what she'd needed. A man to bring a little bit of balance to the house. The thought of Dimitri being that man brought a small smile to Erin's face and she looked up at him briefly. Her heart dropping for a moment as she saw him staring at that old photo she'd still kept on her fireplace. That photo of her with Rosie's Dad, a photo that had been taken when Erin was just six months pregnant. As she looked back down at her daughter, the smile that she'd given to Dimitri drifted away and she returned her focus to Rosie, all she had left of the man she'd once been so in love with. She heard her colleague slowly walk out of the room with a sigh but she didn't watch him go. She couldn't. She could tell he had plenty of questions. Everyone always did the moment they found out she had a daughter. Wanting to know who and where the father was. How long they'd been together and what had happened to him. She'd spent years locking the information away. The information was personal memories, all her personal memories that were shut away so she could no longer be hurt by them.

As she heard Rosie's heavy breathing, Erin knew it was time to reluctantly let her daughter sleep in peace. So the woman gently lifted herself off the bed, silently wandering over to the door and looking over her shoulder at the little girl one last time. The noise of a coat being pulled off the coat stand brought her attention away from the contents of her bedroom. Her heart rate increased as she realised her colleague might be leaving. Why would he want to stay of course? He'd only stayed until now just to be polite, so he wouldn't upset Rosie. But now Rosie was asleep he didn't need to stay. Erin would be fine. But Erin wasn't fine and as her feet led her down the stairs her eyes focused on the figure of the man she'd spent most of the day and most of the evening with, reaching out for the front door and opening it. She froze, her voice getting caught in her throat as she whispered his name, hardly able to believe she was almost calling him back:

ERIN: Dee?

Her heart skipped a beat as he looked back at her, his deep brown eyes locking with hers. To her relief he closed the door and slowly walked over to her.

DIMITRI: You should get some rest.

With each step he took she found herself becoming closer and closer to tears. It had been such a long time since a man been in the house. As much as she needed a man's company in one sense, right now she needed a man to comfort her, to just wrap his arms around her and tell her everything was going to be alright. Without realising, she found herself nodding in agreement to his statement, her heart catching in her mouth as he stopped directly in front of her, inches from her body. His eyes bore into hers so that she had no time to think about how tall he was, that her being three steps up the staircase to only just be over half an inch shorter than him. Her blue eyes found their way to his lips, and as tempted as she was to kiss him, she held back, all too aware that her emotions were getting the better of her. In a sudden act of desperation she wound her arms around his neck, and held him tightly. The feel of his strong arms winding their way around her small waist encouraged the pending tears to begin flowing from her eyes. As he squeezed her, she sobbed into his neck, all the emotions she'd felt from the day emanating from her exhausted body to the one person she felt she trusted the most at that time.

Dimitri had initially been caught by surprise. He was impressed it hadn't happened sooner. His colleague crying that was, not his colleague flinging herself into his arms. This was the sort of emotion he'd always known she'd possessed, but one he could tell she'd always refused to reveal. As he wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and buried his face further into her neck, he felt overwhelmed by her intimacy. The smell of her hair and whatever products she seemed to use in it, the feel of her slim body against his, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as though she never wanted him to go. He wasn't entirely sure if all this emotion was just because of what had happened to Rosie, or if there were other things that had happened. Things that Erin had had to push deep down to forget about. So she could stay strong for her daughter. With a great deal of self-control Dimitri reluctantly reached up and un-peeled the venerable woman's arms from around his neck to speak softly to her:

DIMITRI: Come on, lets go into the living room.

He kept a hand held onto hers and to his surprise she didn't pull away, instead he watched her eyes dart from one of his eyes to the other and back, as though she were trying to read his mind. As though she were trying to work out if she was right to trust him, or if she should come back to her senses, to put the defences back up again.

DIMITRI: Come on.

He spoke softly again, hoping she wouldn't back away. And she didn't. He took a deep breath as she began making her way down the stairs not letting go of his hand as he led her through to the living room. They both sat on the sofa at the same time, Dimitri never taking his eyes off her for fear that she may block him out again. It wasn't often he was given the chance to be there for anyone, let alone someone he admired so much, someone who rarely let anyone into her life for a minute. But she'd been letting him into her life for the past three hours. He was slowly gaining her trust. He could feel an unusual sensation on his hand and realised that Erin's hand was still gripped onto his, her other hand reaching into her t-shirt sleeve and pulling out a tissue to wipe her nose with before speaking shakily:

ERIN: I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that.

DIMITRI: Don't be silly.

Erin looked into his eyes. He looked at her with such care and affection that it took her all the strength she had left not to kiss him. No one had looked at her like that in a long time. Not since-

DIMITRI: You know you don't always have to be so brave.

ERIN: Yes I do.

She practically whispered the words that she couldn't quite believe she was saying. A small part of her knew she didn't always have to be so brave, but she was never given the opportunity to let her guard down. Sure she'd spent many a night over the years crying herself to sleep. Many a night sat in her back garden staring up at the night sky and wondering who was looking back. But never had she had the opportunity to do what she'd just done. To be enveloped in a cuddle and to be given the silent permission to just _cry_. Erin found her eyes wandering down to her hand that continued to hold onto his as his fingertips caressed her fingertips soothingly. She'd missed this kind of affection. Just the little things. But the important things.

ERIN: I haven't thanked you yet. For saving Rosie.

DIMITRI: No need to thank me.

She watched as a small smile grew on Dimitri's face. She'd always thought he had a nice smile. A reassuring smile. A warm smile. And then there were those eyes. Those deep brown eyes that given half the chance she could get lost in. They were brown with the odd flecks of dark green in, which she'd never noticed before now. Then again, when had she had the chance to look into his eyes for a long period of time before. Right now it seemed there was no where else really to look because his eyes seemed so inviting. So captivating.

DIMITRI: Actually you're lucky Callum mentioned you were a Mum last week, or I would've had no idea who Rosie was let alone what an important part of your life she was.

Erin couldn't help feeling awkward. She knew she was difficult and that it was rare for her to disclose any information about her private life to anyone, particularly colleagues. Erin had had to delay her final year of special intelligence training after becoming pregnant. Several months after giving birth, she returned to complete her final year and there she met Callum who had been fast-tracked through the years after exceeding the high grades in all his exams, and his equally competitive nature had made him an ally during their final year. As far as Erin had been aware the only colleagues who had known about Rosie was Callum, Ruth and Harry, the latter two had read in her file that she had a daughter. As the previous months since joining the grid had passed, Erin had grown closer to Dimitri than anyone else, which was hardly a compliment, as the closest she'd get would be trusting that he could protect her in any situation work put them in. But when it came to him protecting her outside of work, well until this evening that thought hadn't even crossed her mind. Now she couldn't imagine why she'd ever kept Rosie a secret from him before. She'd wanted to tell him about her. They were put on so many jobs together that before, it took everything for her not to talk about what her daughter did at school the previous day, what her favourite food was or what song she'd just learnt to sing. She was besotted with her daughter, even five years on from her birth.

ERIN: I'm sorry you had to find out about her that way.

DIMITRI: Never mind, I know about her now. And even better, I've been able to meet her. And eat her leftovers…

Erin felt a tired smile wipe over her face. He was being so nice. _Why_ was he being so nice? She was nothing special. She was a single mum, very driven at work, very private about her life outside of work, very closed about her feelings, and very difficult to like, let alone love. She watched him lean back into the sofa, his arm opening up as he gave her another one of his warm, reassuring smiles and before she knew it she'd curled up to him. Her head rested in the crook of his armpit and chest and she felt his arm wrap around her, stroking the top of her arm gently as she let out a tired sigh. Bringing an arm out to wind around his stomach she closed her eyes as his other hand glazed softly back and forth across her arm sending tingles down her spine. These sort of cuddles she'd missed. Being curled up on the sofa, leaving the troubled world on the outside. The sort of cuddles that sent her off to sleep knowing that so long as she was with this man she would be safe. And with one last sigh, she felt a comforting kiss on the top of her head before falling asleep.

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><p><strong>Well, hope it lived up to the first chapter :)<br>It's a pity we never knew much about Rosie's Dad in the end, but I guess the less information we know, the more we can imagine eh?**

Next chapter is written, will just give it a little proof-read then will upload it as soon as I can.

Thanks for reading :) hope you enjoyed!


	3. The TV Remote

**Here's the final chapter :) for now..  
>Not entirely sure if I'll continue any further as I have a habit of starting stories then taking FOREVER to finish them. So I'd rather end it here for now :)<br>Thanks for all the fab reviews :) hope you enjoy!  
><strong>

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><p>Dimitri stared at the moving images on the TV. The ten o'clock news had been and gone, he sleepily changed the channel from one to another, trying his hardest not to wake the woman that slept against him. He froze for a moment as Erin stirred in her sleep, her breathing paused as she nestled further into his chest. A small smile wiped over his face as he looked down at his colleague. She looked so peaceful. So calm. He was pleased that he could bring such a sense of security to her. As he glazed his hand thoughtfully over her arm, he gave up hope of finding any form of decent TV at the time of night it was and reluctantly settled for a shopping channel before placing the TV remote on the arm of the sofa. Seeing it made him smile, taking him back to an hour or so before when he finally got hold of it after seeing it laying on the coffee table taunting him with its presence.<p>

_If he leant forward he'd wake her, if he moved her he'd wake her, if he just got up he'd wake her, if he used his foot to try and move the coffee table closer he'd wake her. Basically, he didn't want to wake her. But at the same time he wasn't tired. He was bored. He'd stared at the clock for too long. It was nearing 9.45. Erin had been asleep for over an hour, having finally relaxed into his hug. The awkward thing was that his arm that he had so affectionately wrapped over her shoulder had now gone to sleep, but he really didn't want to wake her. Chances were she didn't sleep well at the best of times, what if he ruined her only chance of a good night's sleep?_

_Suddenly he heard a key unlock the front door quietly and a figure step into the house. He froze, his immediate reaction was to leap up and confront the intruder. But what sort of intruder would use a key? He strained his ears to listen for anything suspicious. Rosie was upstairs. Technically she was safe. And Erin was with him so she was definitely safe. But what if this person had a gun, or a knife or-_

_ANN: Oh, hello._

_Dimitri's heart rate eased a little as he saw the figure of a woman in her late fifties standing at the door of the living room whispering a surprised greeting. Her eyebrow's were raised in a recognizable manner, a manner that reminded him of Erin. Dimitri's voice caught in his throat as he began to feel very nervous. He could only presume this was Erin's mother as there was no one else he could think of, but he wondered what she could possibly say next.._

_ANN: Not like Erin to have anyone round, particularly at this time of night…_

_Dimitri calmed as the woman's initial shocked look eased into a friendly face as she waved at him and kept her voice to a whisper as she spoke:_

_ANN: I'm Ann, Erin's Mum. I suppose she's told you nothing about me._

_The look on his face must have said it all, because Erin's Mum raised her eyebrows with a lack of surprise and shrugged a little before focusing her attention on her daughter. Dimitri found himself following her gaze, his smile remaining, proud that he had managed to make the woman they both stared at so calm and relaxed._

_ANN: You must be doing something right. My daughter's not one for sleeping…suffers a bit from insomnia if you know what I mean._

_Dimitri's heart dropped. If he couldn't have felt anymore compassion for Erin before, then he felt it now. In the line of work they were in it wasn't unusual to struggle to unwind after a difficult day at work. But insomnia suggested that Erin had more on her mind than just work. That maybe she was afraid to fall asleep, that something might happen if she did._

_ANN: Here, have this. Just in case._

_He looked up from Erin to see Ann holding out the TV remote to him and he received it gratefully. There was this look she was giving him that he couldn't quite understand, but he shrugged it off as she started to walk through to the kitchen, pausing before she did so:_

_ANN: Can I get you a drink or anything? Afraid we haven't got any beer, not used to having men in this house you see._

_Dimitri couldn't help the smile on his face at Erin's Mum's remark and shook his head. Ann couldn't have subtle hinted more, that he was the first man of Erin's she'd met in years, even if she tried. But Dimitri hesitated as he thought about it. He wasn't Erin's. He wasn't 100% sure if he wanted to be Erin's. He wasn't sure what he wanted. The older woman gave him a little thumbs up then motioned to the back of the house:_

_ANN: Erin probably wont mention it but I have my own little extension at the back of the house, it's like my own little apartment so I wont disturb you any longer…?_

_DIMITRI: Dimitri._

_He smiled as he filled in the gap the woman had left in the hope he might tell her his name. She seemed genuinely pleased to see him, and repeated his name as though it were a good one, as though it were one she didn't want to forget in a hurry:_

_ANN: Dimitri. Well, nice to have met you Dimitri. Hopefully this wont be the last time eh?_

_Dimitri nodded as the woman smiled before making her way to what he could only presume was her little apartment at the back of the house. He couldn't help feeling happy at how well that little run-in had gone. She hadn't got mad at him for pushing his way into her daughter and granddaughter's lives, that he was still in the house late into the evening, that he was lounging about staring longingly at the blank TV screen. She'd just embraced his presence as though she were relieved her daughter may have finally found someone to love and someone who could love her back..._

The house was silent apart from the low sound of the presenter desperately trying to sell a piece of valuable jewellery on the shopping channel that Dimitri had lazily put on as a last resort. The room felt cold as a draft emanated from somewhere, and the only part of his body that felt warm was the right half of his body, the part that Erin had been curled up against for the past three hours. He could feel Erin begin to stir again, and a smile crept onto his face as he felt her head rise from his stomach slightly. Her hair had become ruffled on the part of her head that's she'd rested against his head and she furrowed her brow in confusion as she spoke in a quiet groggy voice:

ERIN: When did you put the TV on?

DIMITRI: When your Mum came in and handed me the remote…

He noticed Erin's hesitation at the mention of her mother and wasn't quite sure if she was pleased about him meeting another important member of her family or not. He looked down as she rubbed her eye with the hand that had been wrapped around his stomach exposing it to the chill of the room they sat in.

DIMITRI: ...She was very nice, handed me the TV remote, offered me a drink, mentioned there was no beer...

Erin turned a little pale as his sentence trailed off, and he watched as her brow furrowed slightly again while she made her way through another thought process:

ERIN: But Mum normally doesn't get back from bingo until 9.30.

Dimitri watched as she looked up at him inquisitively. He still couldn't shrug off the great feeling he had, knowing that she wasn't making any attempt to move his arm from around her shoulder, or to sit up and remove herself from him. He'd really enjoyed his first proper experience of being "curled up on the sofa in front of the TV together", something his sister had always said was her favourite thing to do with her husband. He knew that what he was about to say would shock Erin, that it would end this perfect evening quite quickly, but the smile still remained on his face:

DIMITRI: It's quarter past eleven.

And just as he'd predicted, Erin sat up with a jolt, her head quickly darting in the direction of the kitchen clock that proved he'd been telling the truth. She looked back at him, to his surprise her face turned apologetic as she stood up from the sofa:

ERIN: I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. I should've let you leave as soon as you'd put Rosie to bed. I'm so sorry Dimitri…

Dimitri stood up rather quickly, surprised at how quickly Erin could change, this time into an apologetic wreck. Maybe this was a part of her insomnia. Perhaps she felt guilty if she slept, for some reason. With a heavy heart he followed her as she made her way out of the living room and over to the front door. The lack of light meant that only a streetlamp outside the house and the tv in the living room created only a dim outline for the two colleagues to see each other. Dimitri was glad for the hours he had had to look at her this evening. To take in all of her details so that the parts of her features he couldn't see in the dim lighting he could always fill in with his memory. He watched her step slowly, anxiously from one foot to the other, a motion that stopped as soon as he reached out and took her hands. He wanted to kiss her. He really, _really_ wanted to kiss her. But in less than ten hours time they would be at work together, trying to sort out another Government mess. He didn't want to make a move that would risk her never wanting to talk to him properly ever aga-

His brain stopped whirring. His mind went blank. Whether it was just his exhausted body giving in he wasn't sure, but as he felt Erin's lips land softly onto his, he no longer cared. This kiss was better than he could've ever imagined. And it deepened. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her slightly up to his height so the kiss could deepen further. He'd never had a kiss like this before. One with so much passion and emotion. One that meant so much. One that felt as though, if it were possible, fireworks would erupt from their bodies.

Erin couldn't help herself. She'd had to do it. The way he'd calmed her, just by holding her hands, she didn't want him to go. It was so unlike her to feel this way about anyone. She'd felt this way once before and it had been a mistake. She'd been betrayed, lied to, deceived. And ever since then she'd vowed never to be hurt like that again. To never feel that way about anyone again. To never let anyone into her life like that again. Because in the end she needed to protect Rosie as well as herself. But Dimitri, he hadn't asked any questions. He hadn't asked anything of her. He'd just been there. He'd made her feel safe enough to reveal her true emotions, made her calm enough to fall asleep. Something she'd struggled to do properly for years. Kissing was an unusual sensation to her as she hadn't kissed anyone in a long, long time. She felt her feet touch down on the ground, the kiss softened again, neither daring to pull apart bringing them back to reality. Erin brought her hands down to his hips as he brought his hands up to her cheeks and gently caressed them until they both needed to breathe oxygen once more, so reluctantly pulled apart. Erin bit her lip nervously, relieved to see in the dim light that Dimitri was smiling and she couldn't help but smile nervously back.

DIMITRI: Thanks for dinner.

ERIN: Thanks for staying.

The two paused, both rather reluctant to let go of each other's hands. The moment was interrupted by a loud meow coming from the other side of the front door. Erin looked at Dimitri guiltily as she reached past him and opened the front door:

ERIN: Oh yeah I forgot to mention, we have a cat…

Dimitri smiled widely as a short haired slender black cat scuttled into the house. He had a feeling he would never quite know everything about Erin. Well not all at once anyway. With one last glance at the woman beside him, he gave her his reassuring smile:

DIMITRI: I'll see you in the morning.

ERIN: Yeah…

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><p><strong>So there we have it :)<br>Hope you all enjoyed it, let me know if you did, it may encourage me to do another story..?  
>Take care x <strong>


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